MAN Goes All In On Electric Buses, Daimler Introduces Fuel Cell eCitaro

The diesel engine is lifeless. It simply doesn’t comprehend it but. In Europe, folks really experience buses and revel in them. Individuals would quite stick a fork of their eye than experience a bus. It’s a cultural factor; don’t ask. MAN, the heavy automobile arm of Volkswagen Group, has made an government choice to not manufacture diesel-powered buses that adjust to the upcoming Euro 7 exhaust emissions guidelines. It should concentrate on battery-electric buses as an alternative. Daimler Truck is also within the bus enterprise. It too will add extra electrical buses to its lineup, however they function a hydrogen gas cell vary extender. Right here’s extra.

MAN Introduces New Electrical Buses

In case you are into buses, you’re in lovely Barcelona this week for the UITP Global Public Transport Summit, the place officers from everywhere in the world are salivating over the most recent in public transportation automobiles. MAN is utilizing the event to introduce its Lion’s Metropolis 10, a by-product of its common Lion’s Metropolis 12 electrical buses which were in manufacturing for 2 years.

The Lion’s Metropolis 10 is targeted on the rising curiosity in on-demand companies. In a press release, the corporate says, “On this period of the transport revolution and rising use of buyer oriented on demand companies, the times of ‘one measurement matches all’ are lengthy gone for positive. Midi buses of lower than 12 meters in size are set to play an more and more essential function sooner or later. They’ve a passenger capability much like that on the 12-meter solo buses whereas taking over considerably much less house in slim metropolis facilities and depots.

“They’re additionally far nippier. In addition to on-demand companies, these compact sorts are sometimes used as alternative automobiles throughout peak hours. Absolutely electrical, domestically emissions free buses such because the Lion’s Metropolis 10 E have been made with exactly this function in thoughts.”

It’s not usually we see the phrase “nippier” in a press launch for buses, electrical or in any other case, however MAN is sort of proud that its new bus has a turning circle of simply 17.5 meters, which permits it to go zipping round cities like a Method E racer, apparently. The brand new bus rides on a 4.4-meter wheelbase — 1.6 meters lower than the Lion’s Metropolis 12. But it carries extra passengers than diesel-powered buses of the identical size as a result of there is no such thing as a diesel stack mounted within the rear, which allows the addition of extra seats.

The NMC batteries for the Lion’s Metropolis 10 — both 320 kWh or 400 kWh — are mounted on the roof, leaving extra room inside for passengers. With the smaller battery pack, the buses have a spread of 235 km, which will increase to 300 km with the bigger pack. The brand new buses may have a semi-autonomous driving functionality, because of a onboard navigation system equipped by Mobileye.

No Diesel Buses For You!

Picture courtesy of Daimler Truck

Final fall, the EU Fee proposed new emission limits for Euro 7, which might apply to buses and vehicles over 3.5 tons. With the intention to meet the brand new commonplace, producers would want to divert technical and monetary assets away from developing zero emissions vehicles. MAN has determined it gained’t proceed to fabricate diesel-powered buses on the market in Europe after the brand new emissions guidelines take impact.

“In 2030 we is not going to promote any combustion engine metropolis bus in Europe,” mentioned Heinz Kiess, head of product advertising and marketing for MAN Truck and Bus. “Trying on the evolution of town bus market in Europe, we don’t see fuel drivetrains to have a market sooner or later. We see room for gas cell buses however not more than 10 per cent of the bus market.”

Daimler Truck, which manufactures buses as nicely, has additionally mentioned it can convert all its merchandise for European clients to electrical energy by 2030, however a few of them may have hydrogen gas cells on board to spice up vary. On the Barcelona present this week, the corporate showcased its eCitaro Fuel Cell bus. The 60 kW gas cell offers the automobile the power to drive longer distances with out recharging alongside the way in which. The solo bus can go as much as 400 km whereas the articulated mannequin has a spread of 350 km.

As a solo bus, the mannequin has three NMC battery packs with a mixed capability of 294 kWh. As an articulated bus, there are three or 4 packs with a cumulative capability of as much as 392 kWh. In each circumstances, the gas cell has an output of 60 kW and is equipped by Toyota. Each the battery packs and the gas cell, which weighs 240 kg, are mounted on the roof together with as much as 7 excessive stress tanks that may retailer a most of 35 kg of hydrogen.

Daimler acknowledges that electricity to recharge the batteries is inexpensive than hydrogen — a minimum of in the present day – and that’s the reason the gas cell is meant for use a spread extender quite than as a main energy supply. On the subject of refilling the hydrogen tanks, the corporate says, “Underneath optimum circumstances and relying on the refueling infrastructure, the refueling time within the solo bus is round ten minutes.” The gas cell has a service lifetime of 40,000 hours, equal to 7 to 10 years of use.

Coordinating how a lot energy is equipped by the batteries and the way a lot is equipped by the gas cell is fastidiously regulated by an clever management system that enables operators to decide on between two completely different working modes.

Within the “most vary” mode, each the battery and the hydrogen gas cell are utilized to the utmost. Within the “Minimal H2 consumption” mode, the battery provides the vast majority of the vitality for the drive and auxiliary programs akin to warmth and air con whereas the gas cell solely provides as a lot vitality as is critical to realize the beforehand set vary.

The vary extender solo bus makes use of the identical ZF drive axle fitted to its non-fuel cell eCitaro buses. It produces 125 kW of energy and 485 Nm of torque. The articulated bus makes use of two electrical axles with a rated energy 125 kW every.

The Takeaway

The message right here is that two of Europe’s main bus producers have determined that investing in improved diesel engines isn’t a sensible use of assets. Though the diesel engine has been the workhorse of heavy obligation transportation for a few years, its exhaust emissions are merely extra of a burden than society can tolerate. The Earth will heave a sigh of aid as extra electrical buses take over the general public transportation chores at the moment served by diesel buses.